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My 23 month old intact just finished her second heat cycle.

Hello, my 23 month...

Hello, my 23 month old intact bitch just finished her second heat cycle. The swelling began to go down a few days ago and now is completely gone. However for the last week or so she has been having a watery and bloody discharge. I assumed, although abnormal, that it was part of her heat however it has persisted. Her other side affects are; excessive licking and attracting our 2 neutered males. Despite showing no interest when she was in heat, they are now sniffing and licking her.

Veterinarian's Assistant: I'll do all I can to help. What is the dog's name?

Lady

Veterinarian's Assistant: Is there anything else important you think the Veterinarian should know about Lady?

Lady does have abnormal heats. She bleeds, goes into standing, and then bleeds again before coming out of heat. Lady is being spayed sometime this year before she enters her next cycle.

Hello I am Dr. Joey. Thanks for asking your question and trusting me to help you and your pet today. I am a licensed veterinarian with over 18 years of experience.

This does not sound normal for Lady. Typically a bitch will have the discharge phase (bloody droplets) that lasts 4-10 days. After this the swelling will slowly regress over a few weeks. Discharge after this suggests something is going on with the uterus such as uterine infection or perhaps she has an ovarian cyst. This can be a significant problem, and is something you want your veterinarian to check. Typically an ultrasound of the uterus is the fastest way to obtain a diagnosis of if this is a uterine problem. And cytology of the discharge helps us understand what phase of heat she may be in.

She may be having a split heat, which is less common in mature bitches, but can happen. I recommend she be scheduled for an exam with her veterinarian to figure it out.

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Customer reply replied 10 months ago

would it be at all possible to just book her in with my vet for a spay?

I want to reassure you it is not unusual for young dog to experience any number of "abnormalities" in their heat cycle including split or anovulatory heat cycles during their first few heats. I would expect the bitch to begin more normal intervals of cycling in the next 12 months. When do you plan to breed? Sounds like this is not the right time. I would strongly recommend good ovulation timing using progesterone assays during that heat to time it properly next time. This time a good check with her vet is in order; or a consult with a reproductive specialist.

If you are not planning to breed her, then I recommend proceed with having her spayed. YES.

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Customer reply replied 10 months ago

I don't plan to breed her as she's a mutt with a multitude of behavioral issues. I left her intact until 2 years for growth! She seems to be going into season every 12 months so I planned to spay her sometime in the next year, however if a spay will fix our issue then I'll be booking her in ASAP!

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Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.